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FIX: Recycle Bin file Association Error on Windows 11,10, 7

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Updated onApril 11, 2024

updated onApril 11, 2024

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Recycle Binis one of those features of Windows that we use every day without thinking twice about it, but several users reportedRecycle Binfile association error on their PC. This is an unusual issue, and in today’s article we’ll show you how to fix it.

According to users, file association errors can cause problems withRecycle Bin, and speaking of issues, here are some common problems that users reported:

Recycle Bin file association error, how to fix it?

Recycle Bin file association error, how to fix it?

1. Delete all files from the Recycle Bin

According to users, if you’re havingRecycle Binfile association error, the problem might be related to the files in theRecycle Bin. To fix this issue, users are suggesting to access yourRecycle Binand manually remove all files from it.

To do that, simply openRecycle Binand select all items in it. If you have many files in theRecycle Bin, you can useCtrl + Ashortcut to select them all. After selecting all files, delete them and the problem should be resolved.

2. Perform a Full system scan

If you’re gettingRecycle Binfile association error, the problem might be a malware infection. Malware can interfere with your system, change your settings and prevent you from using certain features. If you’re concerned that you might be infected by malware, we strongly suggest that you perform a full system scan.

Keep in mind that this scan can take several hours depending on the size of your hard drive. If you want a reliable antivirus that will prevent almost all malware threats, we strongly suggest that you considerESET HOME Security Essential.

⇒Get ESET HOME Security Essential

3. Add your account to Administrators group

Sometimes certain issues can appear if you’re not using an administrative account on your PC. According to users, they managed to fixRecycle Binfile association error simply by adding their account to the Administrators group and removing it from all other groups. To do this, just follow these steps:

Once your PC restarts, check if the problem is still there. According to users, this solution worked for them, so feel free to try it out.

4. Use Command Prompt

According to users, sometimes you might be able to fix the problem withRecycle Binfile association simply by using the Command Prompt. In case you don’t know,Recycle Binis actually a directory on your PC, and you can access it and delete the files manually from it if you want.

To do that, just follow these simple steps:

After removing the directory, the problem should be completely resolved and Windows will automatically create a newRecycle Bin. Keep in mind that this method will delete all files that you have in yourRecycle Bin, so be sure to back up any files that you might need.

5. Perform an SFC and DISM scans

If you’re gettingRecycle Binfile association error on your PC, the problem might be caused by a corrupted Windows installation. This can occur for various reasons, but you might be able to fix the corrupted installation simply by doing the following:

After the scanning process is finished, check if the issue is still there. Some users reported that the SFC scan didn’t fix the problem for them. If that’s the case, you need to perform aDISMscan by doing the following:

After completing both scans, check if the problem is still there. In addition, you might want to repeat the SFC after the DISM scan if you weren’t able to run it before.

6. Enter Safe Mode

If you keep havingRecycle Binassociation error on your PC, you might be able to fix the problem by accessing theSafe Mode. To do that, just follow these steps:

Once you enter Safe Mode, check if the problem is still there.

7. Perform a System Restore

System Restoreis a useful feature that allows you to easily restore your PC and fix any problems that started occurring recently. IfRecycle Binfile association error started appearing not that long ago, you might be able to fix it using System Restore. To do that, just follow these steps:

Once your system is restored, check if the problem is still there.

8. Install the missing updates

According to users,Recycle binfile association error can sometimes appear if you don’t have the latest updates installed. Glitches can sometimes appear onWindows 10, and the best way to keep your PC bug-free is to keep your system updated.

Windows updates itself for the most part, but sometimes you might miss an update or two. However, you can always check for updates manually by doing the following:

Once updates are downloaded, simply restart your PC to install them. After installing the latest updates, check if the problem is still there.

Recycle Binfile association error isn’t serious, but it can be quite annoying. However, we hope that you managed to fix it by using one of our solutions.

More about the topics:windows 10 fix

Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.

Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.

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Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.